Hub shell construction for vehicle wheels



' Aug. 2s', y1934. l L, J ROSA EVAL 1,971,877

HUB SHELL CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICLE WHEELS Filed July 27. 1931 2Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Aug. 28, 1934. l L J. ROSA ET AL y 1,971,877

HUB SHELL CONSTRUCTION FOR lVVI'IIICLIE WHEELS n Filed July 27, 1951 I v2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTORS echar/1190551' g//J 5 #S ATTRNEYS` PatentedAug. 28, l1934Y Y UNITED,s'iATlsv PATEN tion of kNew, York ApplicationJuly 27, 1931, serial No. 553,430 V Claims. (C1.` 411o This inventionVrelates generally to vehicle wheels and has particular referencetoimprovements in hub shells for Vehiclewire wheels.

One of the principal objects of this invention p 5 is to enhance thegeneral appearance of vehicle Wheels without appreciably-effecting thepresent cost of manufacture or weight thereof.

This invention contemplates securing the foregoing advantageous featureby providing the hub shell of the wheel with ornamental means which maybe in the form of a ring -visible from the front side of the wheel andhaving a finish distinguishable from the finish of the hub Vsliellso asto provide some relief to the appearance of the latter.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent asthis description proceeds, especially when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through a vehicle wheelequipped with a hub shell having an ornamental ring` applied thereto inaccordance withfthis invention; i

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the hub v shell shown in Figure1; d

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View through a hub shell showing aslightly modified form of llnish ring;

Figure 3A is a fragmentary elevational view 3Q illustrating the mannerin which the ring shown in Figure 3 may be assembled with vthe shell.

For the purpose of illustrating the various embodiments of the inventionfeatured herein we have selected a vehicle wire wheel of the type 35,wherein the attaching means for demountably securing the wheel in placeis arranged within the hub shell and concealed thereby. In detail, thevehicle wheel shown in Figure 1 comprises a rim 11 and a hub shell 12arranged within the tively Connected thereto by means of the front andrear spokes 13 and 14, respectively. The inner ends of the spokes 13 and14 are riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the hub shell 12, whilethe outer ends of the spokes are anchored-in the base of the rim 11. Theshell 12 is preferably formed with a barrel portion 15 terminating atthe front end thereof in an inwardly flared flange 16 fashionedrtodetachably receive a suitable hub cap 17. The rear end of the-barrelportion i5 is flared outwardly as at 18 and terminates in a radiallyoutwardly extending flange 19.

lIn order to provide for detachably attaching the shell to the inner hubof a wheel designated genrim in concentric relation therewith andopera-` v erally herein by the reference character 20, we provideattaching portions 21 permanentlyse- Y cured to the shell-intermediatethe front and rearl ends thereof and extending radially inwardlytherefrom. The attachingportions 2l are adapt- 60t ed vto embrace thefront side of the radial fixed ,flange 22 of theinner hub and areprovided at circumferentially spaced points with apertures 23 arrangedin registration with corresponding open"- ings in the fixed flange forrreceiving the'fasten- 65 ing elements 24. In'the present instance, the

Vfastening means 24 comprises bolts 25 having head portions permanentlyanchored in the fixedY flange and having threaded shank portions ex-vtending through the apertures 23 for detach- 70 ably vreceiving theclamping nuts 26 which serve to detachably clamp the attaching portions21 of the shell to the fixed flange. The above arrangement is such thatthe demountable fastening vmeans including the attaching portions 21 onthe shell are thoroughly concealedfromlview when the hub cap 17 is inassembled relation with the shell and'at. the same time. are readilyaccessible by merely removing the hub cap.'

The fastening means, in addition to detachably securing the shell to thefront side of the ilxed flange, also functions to permanently secure thebrake drum of the wheel to the rear faceof theV xed flange. The brakedrum is illustrated herein by the reference character 27 and comprises aweb portion 28 centrally apertured to receive the rear portion of theinner hub and having openings 29 therein registering with the openingsinthe xed flange and attaching portions 21 of the shell for receiving thehead portions of the bolts 25 which are in effect riveted over the webvto provide a permanent connection betweenl the Y brake drum and innerhub. Y

As previously stated, it isfthe principalobject Y of this invention toenhance the general appearanceY of the wheel by providing some relief tothe more or less uniform surface presented by the hub shell. This isaccomplished by securing an annular ring 30 to the radially outwardlyextending rear flange 19 of the shell. The ring 30 is preferably formedof metal` and may be fashioned by a stamping orlrolling operation andpreferably presents an appearance readily distinguishable from theexterior surface of the hub shell. In order to secure the desiredappearance, the ring 30 may be chrome plated or formed of somerelatively bright metal such, for example, as stainless steel orduralumin.

In any event, the ring 30 is formed with a body portion 31 adapted toembrace the front side of the radially outwardly extending flange 19 onthe rhub shell and terminating at the outer end thereof in a rearwardlycurved portion 32 adapted to extend over the peripheral surface of theilange 19 to conceal the same and to provide for securing the ring tothe shell. 1n this connectionfit is to be noted that in the' event it isdesired to provide additional securing means for the ring, the same maybe welded, riveted or otherwise permanently l.

fixed to the fiange 19. It has been found, however, that merely bendingtheouter portion of the ring over the peripheral edgey of the ange 19 asshown in Figure 1 is sufficient to adequately se-` cure the ring inplace. Y v

In Figure 3 we have shownv a slightly modified form of appearance ringwhich differs from the one previously described inithat it simulates ineffect a circular beadon the outer edge ofthe hub eration and may beeither transversely split so as to permit the same to be in effectthreaded upon the flange 19 as shown in 4Figure 3A or formed continuousand rolled in'place upon the ange19. While in describing the twoembodiments of the invention particular stress has been placed uponV theassociation of the same with a specific type of of various other typesand designs.

vehicle wheel, it should be understood that the latter. is lshown hereinfor the purpose of-illustration only, and that the aforesaid embodimentsofthe invention are capable for use upon Wheels t It should further beunderstood that while onlyl two ernbodiments of the invention havebeendescribed herein in detail, no attempt has been made to il lustrate anddescribe all of the possible rmodifications of this invention andaccordingly, reservation is made to make such changes in the severalconstructions as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A vehicle Wheel having a hub shell provided with aradially outwardlyextending flange at the witharadially extending flange, an appearancering substantially tubular in cross section and Y havinga'circumferentially extending slot in the inner surface thereoffashioned to vreceiver the peripheral portions of said flange.

4. A vehicle wheel having a hub shell provided with a radiallyextendingilange', an appearance ring substantially tubular` in` crosssection and having a circumierentially extending slot in the innerlsurface. thereof fashionedto receive the peripheral kportions of saidflange, said ring being transversely split to provide for assembling thesame with said flange.

5. A vehicle wheel havingva hub shell provided with a radially extendingflange at one end thereof, and an appearance ring having a portionVlocated at the front side of the flange aforesaid, and havingV anotherportion curled over the periphery of said flange and engageable with theopposite side of the same tocooperate with said first named portion inholding the ring in assembled relation with the shell.

LEONARD lJ. ROSA.

CHARLES l

